It’s
been a bad physically painful week for me in which I was unable to do much of
anything. My son (barely a legal adult) moved
into an apartment downtown with his half brother on Monday because he was/ is
making very poor choices. My Mom started calling me at 6:30ish on
Friday morning uncertain if she should go to a clinic, the hospital, or just
wait it out at home because she had symptoms which were concerning but didn’t
seem critical. I suggested she try for
an appointment at 8am when her doctor’s office was open. Eventually she gets through but her doctor wasn’t
available. I suggested a clinic that has
an ecg machine in case.
On
the way to pick her up I heard that gift cards can be exchanged for money at
those ‘cash your cheques for fee’ places, but you get only half the worth of
the card. This means there is no way to
guarantee the person you give the card too won’t cash it out and spend the
money on addictions. I got angry at
man’s greed when I heard a news flash about a house explosion late Thursday on
the same block my boys live on. Ummm… After I parked at Mom’s I called hubby to
call the boys and make sure they were okay- which they were though they slept
elsewhere for the night (due to concerns).
(Signed
in at 9:30am -ish.)
We spent three hours at the clinic before Mom even saw a doctor, at which point
she got a brief check of lungs and heart before she was told to go get a chest
x-ray. The doc said water was shown in
her lungs and put her on the ecg. Not
long after she was put on oxygen to calm her heart as it was beating
irregularly and fast (120 to 170). They
called the ambulance to pick her up around 1:20pm .
At the hospital, they strapped her to various machines and an intern
came in asking questions, but we didn’t see a doctor until after 5pm when he ordered another chest
x-ray.
Then
after 8pm
the doctor finally spoke to us using the term atrial fibrillation- the top of
the heart was in fibrillation causing the bottom of the heart to get mixed
signals therefore beating irregularly and fast.
He left after that. Mom was in
good temperament except for being really hungry as neither of us had eaten all
day and the hospital wouldn’t allow her to eat or drink.
They
decided not to shock the heart back into normal rhythm but to administer some drugs
to calm it down, other drugs to get the water in her lungs out and to admit her
until further tests could be done. She
got a room by 9:30pm and was settled in by 10pm- all in all, a long day for us. My sister had arrived by 8:30 from out of town so I was able to
be relieved after Mom was settled in. We
didn’t see another doctor until today at 4pm-ish, who explained more, finally
mentioning congestive heart failure*. Scary words… I guess we will live at the
hospital for a few days.
But God is good and able to strengthen us in times like these. We actually laughed a lot in the hospital-
Mom, three daughters and neighbour patient.
Mom was able to speak face to face over the phone with distant family
which is so cool. Later tonight, a cute
male nurse came in giving the two patients something to look forward to! We’re not sure how long she’ll be in the
hospital, but at least until the tests on Monday (if they have time) and when
her heart is better in control.
Scary times, scary troubles, and scary words but none of this is scaring
me because I walk with the One who brings peace to my heart and soul. He is always with me, He’ll take care of Mom
and only He knows her length of days and state of heart--- and He won’t ever
stop working in her life, or mine. It
might be raining or even pouring, but my Lord and Savior is with us. “My flesh and my heart fail; but God is
the strength of my heart, and my part forever.” (Ps. 73:26) I can’t ask for more except that God would
not allow Mom to leave this flesh until she is His.
Life never gets easier but it will
surely get better for those who love and serve Jehovah God and Jesus Christ His
Son. One day we will see Him face to
face (Rv. 22:3,4) in new immortal bodies (Php. 3:21; 1Cr. 5:42-44) in a place
where sin, sickness and corruption will never be, and no one will ever suffer
or die ever again (Rv. 20:14; 21:4,27).
There we will live in peace and joy with our Savior and King
forever. What an awesome hope we have…
Is it pouring yet?
Yes, it is pouring God’s love out into our lives if we will only open up
our arms to receive it.
*Congestive heart failure occurs when the heart
isn't able to pump blood normally. As a result, there is not enough blood flow
to provide the body's organs with oxygen and nutrients. The term "heart
failure" does not mean that the heart stops beating completely, but that
the heart is not working as efficiently.
-systolic dysfunction occurs when the heart
can't pump enough blood to supply all the body's needs
-diastolic dysfunction occurs when the heart
cannot accept all the blood being sent to it